Ms. Do-It-Herself

While I was busy strolling around SM Department Store for my last-minute shopping, I came across an attractive display of wall decorations at a nearby cash register. As I intently browsed every sort of decorative items, one eye-catching design had captured my attention – a ceramic wall hanging décor having a cool sign “Ms. Fix It” at the top. And when I looked at those words etched below the sign, I was just so amused reading the tag lines and the entire job list! Whew! This wall décor seemed to speak the kind of lifestyle I have, hahaha! Nalingaw jud ko! Call me an impulsive buyer, but I instantly grabbed the item and added it on my shopping basket.

Ms. Fix It? Ehh.. why not? Being an independent woman that I am, I’ve done quite a number of minor and major fixing along the way… well, in my flat I mean.. hehe! Of the twelve house jobs on the list (see photo), I’ve so far done seven of them – carpentry, painting, decorating, cleaning, cooking, mending and shopping. Major home repair, renovation, plumbing and electrical jobs were done by the professionals of course. Taxi service? I’m just good at dialing the call-a-taxi hotline, haha!

Carpentry. When I got this flat four years ago, one of the first things I bought were the hardware tools for some minor carpentry jobs (hammer, nails, screw drivers, pliers, hooks, knobs, etc.). I’ve done quite a number of carpentry jobs at my flat then. Mending my dining table, refurbishing my bedroom closet, fixing my kitchen cabinet (had to borrow that noisy electric drill for this job hehe!), repairing worn out locks at my door, assembling racks and shelf, and installing window blinds (I had to tiptoe all the time and had to fully stretch my arms upward while doing the entire blinds assembly 10 feet above as I didn’t have a carpenter’s ladder, I was only using a chair for elevation, hehe!). I suddenly remember that song way back in grade school “I drive the nails with one, two, three! I saw away the lumber…” Now, I’m doing all those stuff too! Lingaw sab diay mag karpentero!

Painting. Because my flat isn’t that big enough, painting job was never a burden. While it was my father who did this kind of work back in my hometown, I’m now doing everything independently at my flat. Had simply bought a paint brush, a paint basin, a roller, a can of latex paint (for cement) and enamel (for wood), and a thinner. Within just a few hours of such thorough work, ayan.. amoy pintura na ang bahay ko, heheh! Bitaw, mas hamugaway na tan-awon akong palibot.

Decorating. Ahh.. this is one thing I loved the most. Diri mogawas akong pagka-kikay, hehehe! Being so particular with the house motif, I really made sure everything in my flat looked so color coordinated. From the curtains I put on (even made them myself using my colleague’s sewing machine, hehe!), the wall frames, the doormat, the table cloth, the beddings, the cushions, (even the plastic trash can, whew!) and all other house adornments, there’s a color scheme to create a cool ambiance of my place. In my bedroom, I had this glow-in-the-dark constellation figures attached to my ceiling to make me feel like I’m stargazing everytime I go to bed (seems like a kid's bedroom, hehe!). I have a few collections of angel figurines too. And the latest ceramic décor I have? What else but this “Ms. Fix It” stuff!

Cleaning. Since I live alone in my flat (as in no buddy, no assistant), the cleaning job is all mine, hahaha! From mopping the floor, washing the dishes, organizing the clutters, dusting racks and shelf, cleaning the toilet, doing the laundry (etcetera, etcetera)… whew! I had everything under my hands! Nevertheless, I’ve become so accustomed on this that I hardly noticed I’m doing a one-man show! Hahaha!

Cooking. I must admit I never really cook. My mom does the cooking job at home. But I started to learn to cook when I had to live quite a distance from home, the time when I entered college and live the boarding house lifestyle. Hala, luto jud para maka-save, hehe! When the time came that I had to set my own career path after graduation and had to live on my own, I became an instant cook-in-the-making (really!). And as time went by, I’ve learned to love cooking indeed! My friends and colleagues would at times visit my place just to enjoy my home-cooked goodies. Yum.. yum!

Shopping. There goes the grocery list, naka magnet sa refrigerator. And who’s going to do the shopping? Well, ako gihapon, hahaha! As what I’ve said earlier, it’s a one-man show! One thing I love about doing groceries is that I'm always kept posted with the prices of the basic commodities, unlike before that I was not so keen about prices (kay dili man ako ang ga-grocery, whew!). While it’s a fact that thriftiness is my nature, I do also splurge myself for a shopping-spree! But here’s the catch - I don’t go to boutiques for they have the tendency to overprice their items. I go instead to department stores where I can choose a wide array of clothing and accessories at a much lesser price. And my best venue for shopping? The ukay-ukay sale at some selected stalls in the malls. I’m just so practical when it comes to shopping. I’m not so keen about signature clothes and all other branded stuffs. Just check my closet and you’ll hardly see any branded apparels and accessories on it. Even my house furnishings, almost of all them I bought at a super low price, wahoo! I have to admit what my friends say that I’m a kuripot shopper heheh! But I guess I have a more appropriate word for that – it’s “wise spending.”

“No job too big. No problem too small.” This was the wall décor tagline that had me nod in approval. Indeed there’s no job too big and no problem too small for a woman who exudes ingenuity and independence. And it's quite a fulfillment on my part knowing that in one way or another, I have become one such kind of woman. Way to go, Ms. Do-It-Herself!

A Conference Like No Other

After a victorious Going Global Singles Conference in Cebu last May 2006 came IMAGINE, the 7th Annual Excellence Conference held last October 6-8, 2006 in Manila. Attended by thousands of delegates from all over the Philippines and abroad (Malaysia, Hongkong, Japan, Korea, & USA), multitudes of people were really blessed and inspired with this biggest Catholic teaching conference of its kind in Asia! Join me as I recount those memorable experiences I had during the three-day conference.

Day 1 - Friday, October 6. A power-packed, awe-inspiring Opening Ceremony had brought the audience in total bewilderment. As in everybody was just so stunned gazing those splendid views of the new Heaven and new Earth, I couldn't help but exclaimed "Nasa langit ba ako?". (This would take quite a paragraph ‘coz I’ll be taking you with your imagination this time, hehe!). The entire hall was dimmed, the four big screens around were switched on (like that we saw in movie theaters), showcasing those scenic heavenly captures (it was more like seeing four movies simultaneously, so you just have to turn your head 180 degrees every now and then to take a full view of the different sceneries, hehe!). Then came the melodious music accompaniment from a solo performer playing his violin on stage who was like flying as the (magical) chair gently rose him up on air, complimented with those sparkling bubbles filling up the entire surroundings. At the signal of the emission of that thick smoke from the floor came a heavenly voice singing from nowhere. As we all turned our heads back, following the spotlight’s direction, we found ourselves spellbound seeing a debonair (portrayed by GenRever Choy Miranda) all dressed in a prince-like suite, chanting with that operatic voice, making his way towards the center stage through that seemingly floating platform. Along came the flock of angels and other heavenly creatures hopping in, bouncing and dancing gaily on the four aisles of the hall as they headed their way through the theatrical stage. Then the lights were turned on, and everybody was set all for the praise and worship! It was like a heavenly concert. Wow! Isn’t that amazing?

As what our EC06 Conference Director Didi Marañon said, “The way to benefit most from this conference is to become a child again. Rekindle your sense of wonder. Be playful even. Leave at the doormat all your preconceived notions and be open for anything. Let yourself laugh easily, worship with gusto and learn to live in the moment...” It was such a message of relief for us who have become “boxed” people – boxed in by our own limitations and perceptions. Whoaw! How nice it is to be free up for a while from the “real world” and just experience the empowering presence of God.

More than the usual conference, EC06 was a time for merriment and relaxation. While it was a venue for receiving dynamic teachings and practical lessons, it was also a venue for enjoyment and recreation. Held at The Oasis (Aurora Boulevard), a premiere events venue located in the neighborhood of the Elim Global Headquarters, the EC06 Party Night was totally an evening of fun and excitement. Everybody was able to unwind and share the company of hundreds of other delegates from across the country and the world with a sampling of casual entertainment, live music, dance, and of course, food!

If you feel like moving to the groove, head over to the dance area. If karaoke is your thing, they’ve got some of that, too. Or if relaxing in the company of friends over refreshments is your fancy, you can go ahead grab a table, and better yet, share it with some other international delegates!

Raffle prizes like a Nokia N-Series phone, gift certificates and iPods were up for grabs too! Lots of games had entitled those lucky players to win cool prizes. Malaysian delegates won most of the raffles and the games as they had represented the largest number of delegation. If I’m not mistaken, there were about 96 Malaysian delegates all in all. Whew! Quite a number! 15 ra gani mi delegates from CDO, hehehe!

Day 2 – Saturday, October 7. The plenary talks were indeed powerful and vital. They helped stretch, not just our imagination, but also our way of life. The various simultaneous sessions that covered leadership, discipleship and worship had brought us into another level of Christian maturity. One of the simultaneous sessions we had attended was the Elim Singles Conference where we were exhorted to take part in the Live Give Project.

A world-class entertainment at EC06. The evening of October 7 was a concert night, with the staging of “I Can Only Imagine”, a contemporary Christian concert featuring Christian artist and Elim Singles National Director PY Nakar. Such a fresh repertoire of songs which had taken us on a flight of imagination and wonder. Award-winning songwriter and hip-hop dance choreographer Jungee Marcelo was the special guest for that night. Providing the accompaniment and orchestration was the Elim Music Ministry singers and band who were joined by a 12-piece string ensemble. Parang Elim version ng Phil Harmonic Orchestra! Perfect!

Day 3 – Sunday, October 8. We started the day with a Eucharistic Celebration, followed by the 3rd plenary which was presented in a Game Show-like manner. Hosted by Bro. Moses Catan, with Kiddo Cosio voicing over the invisible “Joe”, wow! It was one of the perfect tandem I’ve ever seen on stage. The Game Show was dubbed “How Many of You” which entitled the winners to be “beneficiary of Christian witness”. And for every set of questions in each category, the Elim Trio up on stage would then chant the game tag line “How maaany of yooouu?!” with such a perfect voice blending accompanied with that seamless hand and body gestures. Parang “Laban o Bawi” the Christian version, hehe! It was a totally awesome and amusing game show which brought fun and laughter to the audience.

Talk about one of the events I’m looking forward in a Conference, it’s the Book Signing session where we can check the newly launched inspirational books and all other Christian books at the bookstore and have the chance to meet the authors themselves and have their personalized message and signature etched on our very own purchased books. I bought this inspirational book “Shine Through Suffering” by Didi Marañon and Lory Lina, and whew! It was such a great pleasure having these great Christian authors signing a personalized message on my newly purchased book.

The last plenary by Bro. Willly Nakar was succeeded by the Anointing Prayer and the Praise Rally. What a powerful grand finale! During the Anointing Prayer, I can feel the enigmatic presence of God dwelling upon me. While others received the gift of tongues, gift of tears, gift of laughter, and the gift of singing, I got none of the above. I received a different gift which I could never explain. As Bro. Willy professed the anointing prayer and raised his hands towards the audience, I felt an extreme coldness I was like freezing – my hands and knees were trembling. The last time I’ve ever had that tremendous chill was when I was at the peak of the 10,000-feet Mt. Kitanglad (savoring the zero degrees temperature) four years ago! On the contrary, one of our brothers shared that he felt the opposite during the anointing prayer. He was like being rinsed with hot water all over his body, he was sweating all over due to the extreme hotness he felt. Mysterious as it was, with faith, we believed that it was one great manifestation that the Holy Spirit has dwelt upon us and spoke to us on that very moment.

On the Praise Rally, everybody was singing and dancing to the rhythm of those powerful Christian songs. Just imagine those thousands of people grooving, jumping, and chanting together… and the conference hall was a bit shaking hehe! There was this amusing portion with my co-delegate Kara. Everytime the gathering calls for a praise rally and community singing, we would remove our sandals and we go on dancing and chanting with bare foot! And one thing more.. me and my co-CDO delegates always loved to stay on the fire zone! As in pinaka front jud! That’s the spirit! When you have to listen to the Word of God and receive His blessings, it’s always nice to be on the fire zone!

Still burning up with enthusiasm after the three-day conference, I found myself joining the queue of those early registrants for the next conference. Yep, I already have registered for the 8th Excellence Conference on October 5-7, 2007. Aside from getting the 50% discount on the registration fee, I just grabbed the opportunity to share my “early” blessings to the community and gave back what belongs to the Lord. So to my fellow Elimites out there, I’ll see you all in Manila for the 8th Annual Excellence Conference: RECEIVE!

See more photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/35

Early Christmas At My Home

As early as October, stores set up Christmas trees, flashy decorations and stocks of toys. Christmas songs were played on radio stations. In many homes, families refurbish their homes, busied themselves hunting for the perfect décor and the finest gleaming lights to harmonize with the interior concept of the house. Hmnn.. I’m no exception for that, hehe! A couple of weeks ago, I’ve started fixing up my little home for an entrancing Christmas atmosphere!

Got to dig up the cupboard and begun setting up my 6-ft Christmas tree. With such a meticulous work, it took me almost two hours to finish the assembly, whew! And when everything was ready… tsadaaan! It was time to light up the Christmas tree! I’ve been through with the Christmas wreath and the Christmas lights on the walls as well. My Christmas mp3 collections are all ready too! Ayan! Pasko na jud sa akong payag, hehe! Same as last year's practice, let me begin with my Christmas countdown now. As of this posting, it’s exactly 75 more days to go before Christmas! Excited na ko mga manitos and manitas!

Traveling With The Felines

Last Sunday, I went to my home sweet home Malaybalay. I was supposed to depart last Saturday, but we had our company’s 10th anniversary activity on that day, so I had to move my travel sked on a Sunday. Guess what was unusual on that travel? I was on board with… uh… well, my kittens, hahaha! Ain’t that something odd and funny?

At first, I was a bit apprehensive on the idea of taking my kittens with me back home. Would I have to secure a permit for bringing kittens with me on travel? What if the bus driver doesn’t allow animals on board and would rather have my kittens thrown on air? The worst thing was, what if the driver would send me out of the bus in the middle of that long, cold, lonesome trip? These are some of the thoughts that bothered me a bit. Murag medyo praning ba, hehe! Well, it’s because I’ve never seen any passenger bringing kittens on board yet - not in my twelve years of traveling! So there goes my paranoid self, haha! My apprehensions just faded away upon the thought that I’d be leaving for Manila in four days time and that nobody’s gonna take care of these little creatures for almost a week! So I really have to take the guts to bring my kittens to my hometown. Hmnn.. why do I have to bring them home when I can have somebody else to take care of them during my absence? Well, it’s just that the people around me here hates cats, haha! So I’d rather take my kittens back home ‘coz I can be assured they’ll be taken cared of in there.

So on the dawn of October 1st (as in nangadlawon ko ug byahe, 3:30 a.m.), I prepared my kittens for travel. I placed them in a shoebox with tiny holes for air passage, and gently tied the box for secured grip. While I was on my way to the bus terminal, the kittens started crying “meoowww!!” Uh-oh! Pang-lingion man kaha ko ani sa mga pasahero sa bus! So I tried asking the taxi driver how much would he charge me if I’m hiring his taxi service straight to Malaybalay. “P1,800 akong singil, pero pwede taka ipa-hangyo ug P1,600!” was what he replied. Ngeng! P1,800?! I’ll take the bus instead! Bahala lingion ko sa mga pasahero, hahaha!

When the taxi arrived at the bus terminal, the kittens still kept on crying. Good thing there were only a few by-passers (kay alas tres pa baya sa kaadlawon), and the loud videoke music from a nearby eatery was of great help then ‘coz it outshone the kitten’s wail, so it wasn’t so obvious that the “meow” sound came from the box I was carrying, hehehe! When I finally got on board with a bus, there was a quick relief on my part as the kittens stopped wailing, whew! Salamat naman! I was sitting peacefully near the driver’s seat when I hear that sound again “Meoowwww!!” Oh no, not this time, miming! Pleeasse! I said to myself. But it was of no use, ‘coz the passengers started looking at my direction, hehehe! I then asked the bus driver if it’s okay to have kittens with me on board. “Dili raba na pwede sa aircon nga bus, kay manimaho kung malibang. So balhin nalang ka sa non-aircon nga bus!” was what he said. Uh-oh! Poor Yvonne! Poor kittens! But hey! Wait a minute! I’m not gonna get out of the bus without convincing the driver that I should remain in his bus, hehe! Kulit sab ko no? So I assured him that my kittens’ not gonna have that smelly discharge (tae in short) ‘coz they don’t eat solid foods yet, and that they’re not gonna be a mess in the bus ‘coz I have placed them securely in a neat box. Haayy! Salamat naman at na convince ko rin si Mr. Driver! And there I was, enjoying the two-hour travel with my kittens.

It was my first time to take a long trip with felines, hehe! And when I arrived home, I felt so relieved seeing my mom and dad smiling from ear to ear as I untied the box and showed them those white-furred, blue-eyed little creatures waiting for their caretaker’s cuddle. Mwahh!